Take-up device for knitting machines



July 5, 1949.

F. G. WEISBECKER TAKE-UP DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 25, 1947 I gryvvwtw FY0775 au zls'beclfer 'oimmm latented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAKE-UP DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Frank G. Weisbecker, Glenside, Pa.

Application June 25, 1947, Serial No. 756,918

9 Claims.

This invention relates to the draw-off or take-up mechanism of straight full fashioned hosiery knitting machines of conventional types. More particularly this invention is for an improved work take-up strap device which forms a part of such mechanism.

A straight knitting machine, of the type under consideration, comprises a plurality of separate knitting heads, or sections, each including a separate bank of needles and an individual takeup roll or reel for drawing the finished fabric or work away from the needles of the section, as the fabric is produced course by course by the needles. The rotary tendency of the take-up rolls, which usually are mounted on a common shaft, is produced by means of weight and pulley tackle connected to the shaft. Work take-up straps connect the several take-up rolls to draw bars which latter are attached respectively to the work of the several knitting sections for winding the work on the roll, in some instances, and for merely supporting the work and winding the strap without winding the work on the roll in other instances. Substantially uniform tension is maintained on all the fabrics in the various sections of the machine by the use of resilient or elastic take-up straps. Such take-up mechanism, including work take-up straps, is well known in the art and shown, for example, in the following United States Letters Patent, to which reference is made for more detailed explanations of such take-up mechanism: No. 1,545,953 to E. A. Feustel, July 14, 1925; No. 2,014,114 to E. M. Muller, Sept. 10, 1935; No. 2,042,834 to W. D. Eaches, June 2, 1936; and No. 2,333,074 to H. Printz, Oct. 26, 1943.

The resiliency or elasticity of the take-up straps, which are used in some of the above described take-up mechanism, is provided by making the strap entirel of rubber or of fabric having rubber tensioning threads or other elements woven therein. Straps of this nature have proved unsuitable, however, because the rubber quickly wore out or rapidly deteriorated on contact with the oil which usually is present on or around most knitting machines. To overcome this disadvantage take-up straps then were made of inelastic fabric having a bank of small coil springs secured between spaced portions of the strap to provide the necessary elasticity. .An example of such a strap is shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,545,953 to E. A. Feustel, to which reference has been made above. This coil spring type of construction, however, also has been found to possess certain disadvantages.

of the strap normally overlies the springs.

The small coil springs easily become damaged or broken leaving projecting coils or sharp edges which may snag and pull threads and spoil delicate work, even though a portion of the fabric In addition, the thickness of the small springs adds considerably to the bulk of the strap and the springs may be deformed permanently as they are wound around the take-up roll. Furthermore, since the springs are easily damaged and pulled out of shape it is difficult to maintain a proper uniform tension on the work in the several sections.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a work take-up strap provided with elastic means which will not snag or spoil the work, adds little to the thickness of the strap, is not damaged easily, and which will maintain a more uniform tension on the work.

With these and other apparent objects in mind, a preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail in the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a knitting section of a straight full fashioned hosiery knitting machine provided with a work take-up strap device embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure .3 is a sectional View taken through a take-up roll showing the improved take-up strap fully wound therearound.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a portion of a conventional straight knitting machine of the legger type including a bank of knitting needles Hi, the knitted fabric or work I I being drawn or pulled therefrom, and a take-up roll l2. Two resilient work take-up straps, indicated generally at l3, are connected to the work II and to the take-up roll or reel l2, whereby the rotary tendency of the roll winds the straps therearound to draw the Work from the bank of needles I 0 as it is formed. One end of the straps I3 is provided with a hook M, or other suitable means for detachably engaging the end of a welt, or fabric draw-off rod [5 inserted between the folds of the welt portion of the work. It is to be understood that a legger type of machine is shown merely for illustrative purposes and that the work take-up strap of this invention also is adapted to be used on a footer type of knitting machine, in which case a single strap is used and is secured by suitable means to a footer bar. The other end of the straps I3 is provided with a flanged clip it which is de- 3 tachably engaged in a slot I! in the take-up roll. The take-up mechanism generally described thus far is conventional and forms no part of this invention.

The tubular web 18 of the take-up strap I3 is of inelastic fabric, preferably nylon to add to the life and wearing qualities of the strap, woven in tubular form but flattened in use to form a strap having two plies of fabric. Enclosed in the web [8, between the plies and adjacent the work attaching end thereof, is a strip IQ of fiat spring metal or other suitable material bent into substantially a half loop or U-shape. Accordingly, the spring 19 may be described as being substantially U-shaped and also as being flat, since it is laterally elongated in transverse cross-section. The spring I9 is held in place between the plies of the web I8 by stitching 20' extending transversely across the web adjacent each end of the spring, thus forming, in effect, a, pocket for the spring. This spring [9 provides the necessary elasticity for the strap when in use, and, since the metal of the spring is entirely enclosed within the fabric web of the strap, there are no projecting sharp metallic points or edges to contact and pull the threads of the delicate knitted work. In addition to this advantage it Will be seen that the radius of curvature of the spring l9 conforms substantially to the radius of curvature of the take-up roll [2, so that on reaching the roll the spring easily may be wound therearound to adhere closely to the surface thereof (as shown in Figure 3). It also has been found that a take-up strap equipped with this type of spring will provide a more uniform tension on the work, thus making for more uniform knitting fabrics. It can be seen as well that the flat strip of spring metal I9 is not damaged as easily as the small coil springs or elastic threads used in prior art constructions.

It will be realized that the principle of the invention can be embodied in forms other than that specifically described above. For example, the fabric web [8 of the strap may be of a single thickness or ply for the major portion of its length but having two plies in the spring receiving portion to fully enclose the spring 19. Other changes in the structure will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A work take-up strap for knitting machines, said strap comprising a fabric web having means secured to the ends thereof for attaching said strap to the work and to a take-up roll respectively, and a longitudinally disposed substantial- 1y U-shaped tension spring contiguously secured to an intermediate portion of said web.

2. A work take-up strap for a straight knitting machine, said strap comprising a fabric web having at least two plies for a portion of the length thereof and a longitudinal flat spring of substantially u-shaped form secured between said plies.

3. A work take-up strap for a straight knitting machine, said strap comprising tubular fabric web having means secured to the ends thereof for attaching said strap to the work and a take-up roll respectively, and a flat substantially U -shaped metallic spring secured within said web adjacent the work attaching end thereof.

4. A work take-up strap as set forth in claim 3 in which said spring is secured Within the web by stitching extending transversely across said web adjacent the ends of said spring.

5. A work take-up strap for knitting machines, said strap comprising a flexible web and. a substantially U-shaped spring having the ends thereof secured to longitudinally spaced points of said web, the web length between said points being substantially equal to the length of said spring.

6. A work take-up strap for straight knitting machines comprising: a flat substantially U-shaped spring and flexible webbing secured to each end of said spring.

7. A work take-up strap as defined in claim 6, including means secured to one end thereof for attaching said strap to a take-up roll, the radius of curvature of the said spring being substantially equal to the radius of curvature of said take-up roll.

8. A work take-up strap for straight knitting machines comprising: a flat substantially U-shaped spring having means for attaching one end thereof to the work and the other end thereof to a work take-up roll, said means comprising flexible webbing secured to at least one end of said spring.

9. A work take-up strap as defined in claim 8, in which the webbing is a fabric web and covers the spring.

FRANK G. WEISBECKER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lang Jan. 27 1942 Number 

